The Wizening of Jodruth Knell

Games have come a long way. They look great, they play great. Some of the most memorable stories I’ve ever encountered have been in games. Grim Fandango holds a place alongside the very best of films in my mind.

But good God they have terrible names. This recently hit home with me when I wanted to reference Bioshock in a film master’s class. Bioshock is a fantastic game. When it came out I was firmly in the camp holding it up as evidence in the now tired debate over whether or not games can be art. All that aside though…. That is a ridiculous name. What does it say that one of the premiere video game franchises — the poster-child for artistic achievement — sounds like a particularly dumb B-movie?

Planescape: Torment? The Force Unleashed? Even by the admittedly low standards of the Star Wars movies that’s pretty weak. For all Bioware’s touting of the game as a dark, intelligent fantasy, Dragon Age sounds like the worst dime-store novel on the shelf.

There are exceptions, obviously. My love for the game might be hiding something from me, but I do like the name Grim Fandango. I was hoping to manage one post without mentioning it, but Braid is an example of a good title. Mysterious, evocative of the game’s subjects and themes. Mysterious — which reminds me of Myst and Riven — simple, clever titles that invite you to investigate and find out what’s behind them.

Half-life, Grand Theft Auto (a name just as good as when Ron Howard used it for a movie thirty-odd years ago), and a handful of other franchises have landed on great titles, but they are the exception to the rule in a market where this week’s big new releases are called Bayonetta and Darksiders. Okay, so neither one of those are particularly egregious, but only by the standard of games. So come on, guys — every time I tell someone what I’m playing, I don’t want to have to follow it up with “I know it sounds stupid, but it’s really fun/interesting/deep….”

Coming soon: 10 Rules for a Good Title.